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Visions, Biases & Evolution

by Rick Baker
On Apr 17, 2017

We have wonderful dreams and ambitions…there’s no end to our visions of better things in the future. And, behind these dreams and ambitions, our motives are admirable – all around helping people, solving tough problems and building fun, cool and valuable things.

As we identify opportunities and conceive solutions, we are prone to trick ourselves. According to psychologists, we are predisposed to a wide range of biases. These biases skew our thinking, causing us to be over-anxious, over-confident and hold many other troubled mindsets between these extremes. If you were to fully research all the 100’s of psychological biases then you would probably be so frazzled you’d have trouble thinking anything positive about the future, let alone envisioning bright future changes. 

So – we don’t want to dwell on these biases. 

We just want to mention one of the biases – the tendency to be over-confident about our ability to predict the future…i.e., the ‘overconfidence effect’.

Psychologists tell us we are prone to be over-confident when we forecast the future. This causes us to over-estimate the success we will experience when we create a new product or service. While psychologists illustrate the problems this natural bias can generate, there are other ways to think about it. 

For example -

Scientists tout evolution. To a large degree, the concept of evolution is accepted by non-scientists. Along that vein, scientists and non-scientists alike can ‘blame’ evolution for our tendency to be over-confident about our ability to predict the future. And, consistent with evolution concepts, we can conclude this tendency must exist to help us adapt and survive. 

If we were not naturally blessed with the tendency to have over-confident thoughts about the future then we would be less inclined to envision better futures, set goals around our visions and be persistent in action aimed at our visions.

The where would we be?

[We’d be hobbled with low-confidence and submerged in fatalistic, status-quo thoughts.]

 

 

 

Driving on the Talent Track

by Rick Baker
On Dec 30, 2016

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Talent as: “a special ability that allows someone to do something well”.

To get on the Talent Track, it is important to understand Talents are not what we do well. Talents are closely linked to why we do things well.

Talents are the 'substances' that define us and make us unique.

As Simon Sinek might say – "Talents are about our Why rather than our How or our What."

We all have the ability to deliver treasures. We just need to find the ways to free up our treasures. Our Talents are our keys. Only when we understand our Talents do we know how to use our keys to unlock our treasures.

When we take the time to investigate and understand our unique set of Talents we gain several advantages.

As examples, when we thoroughly understand our Talents we improve our ability to:

  • clarify and express our personal Values & the Rules that are most sacred to us,
  • ability to clarify and express our Vision...Purpose...Mission [if you like to use that word], and
  • define meaningful Goals

And there's one more extremely important thing: when we thoroughly understand other people's Talents we improve our ability to understand what makes them tick...and that allows us to drive on the Talent Track.

 

15 Ways to Influence Thinking & Inspire Action

by Rick Baker
On Dec 22, 2016

Vision inspires

Leadership has a few essential ingredients. For example, the leader must possess a level of intelligence and the leader must possess a character that appeals to followers. Another essential ingredient is Vision. Good-to-great leaders hold a long-lasting, vivid image of what they want in their minds and they communicate that message to their followers. Some good-to-great leaders have an innate gift of communication. Other good-to-great leaders learn the art of communication.

Values fuel the right actions

Everyone lives by a set of personal Values, whether or not they are expressed verbally. The greatest of leaders naturally live by their Values in a most consistent manner. And they have a habit of painting verbal pictures around their Values. Good-to-great leaders' thoughts and actions and communications are consistent. This clarity around Values sends a consistent message to followers. The message energizes followers. In this way, the leaders' Values fuel everything.

Goals provide direction

Good-to-great leaders set long-term goals and they set short-term goals...they know the importance of little milestone steps that guide positive actions toward the long-term goal. Good-to-great leaders know the linkage between good habits and long-term goals. Good habits help people achieve their long-term goals whereas bad habits do not. Short-term goals provide the opportunity for testing, doing, failing, learning, and adjusting the next sets of short-term goals and actions. 

Intent doesn't go without saying

Good-to-great leaders, when compared to average people/leaders, somehow, do a better job of understanding other people. So, somehow, they do a better job of choosing people whose intentions are more aligned to fit on common ground...rallying around a cause. Some good-to-great leaders possess natural gifts of empathy. Other good-to-great leaders figure out how to read other people and they start the process by sharing discussion of Intentions. When in doubt, they ask.

Stories get remembered

Great leaders are great communicators. They are attuned to their life-experiences and how some of those life-experiences serve as excellent examples that can be shared with other people, followers and others who could be followers in the future. Great leaders create powerful, magnetic stories around these pertinent life-experiences. They practice delivering these stories. Then they use every opportunity to present and repeat the stories...to anyone and everyone who will listen.

Take Immediate Steps to Improve Communication

When communication gets off track, straying from the desired direction, good leaders work to improve communication so it returns to the right track. Good leaders do not let interpersonal conflicts fester. They know success relies on a level of harmony between followers. So, when dysfunction is evident they address it. Good leaders communicate to ensure their followers' harmony and focus.

Design Tools to Help People

Tools serve people...making their lives easier, making their lives more productive, adding quality to their lives...assisting them as they build. Good leaders know the power inherent in tools. Good leaders ensure their people have access to good tools. And, to maximize opportunities for performance good leaders ensure their people have customized tools...creative, customized tools.

Focus on Solutions

Leaders see solutions. Solutions and solution-thinking are around the essence of leadership. Good leaders connect with followers who are like minded about solutions. Some followers are naturally solution-oriented, others need to learn that problems are the routes to solutions, growth, and opportunities. Leaders do 2 things to promote solution-orientation: they lead by example...and...they teach.

Seek Simple 

When people go about business things can get complicated and that can happen quickly. Good leaders know the difference between simple, complicated, and complex. Good leaders conserve their energy, saving it for the complicated and complex things. One strategy that ensures energy is conserved so it can be put to best use is Seeking Simple...separating wheat from chaff...helping followers do the same.

Understand Business Contains Only 3 Things: People, Process, & Situations

"People, Processes, & Situations" is an example of seeking simple.  Good leaders know success is all about people...so good leaders invest time connecting with, serving, mentoring, and strengthening good people. Good leaders ensure processes [including tools] serve people, helping people convert actions into results. Good leaders know situations have a most-powerful effect on behaviour, so they plan for and construct situations.

Understand People Do Only 3 Things: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things

Good Habits are things people think and do that help them achieve long-term desires and goals. Bad Habits are things that people think and do that do not help them achieve long-term desires and goals. Good leaders use these simple definitions to inject clarity into their lives. Then good leaders work at reducing their performance of Bad Habits and expanding their performance of Good Habits. And, good leaders test New Things...relentlessly seeking more Good Habits.

Take Talent To Task

Good leaders are fascinated by people's talents. When people's talents show a capability of aligning with the trust of the leader's goals, good leaders ensure the talented person has access to (1) opportunities to put the talent to productive use, (2) specialized knowledge to complement the talent, and (3) time to practice skills to hone the talent into a personal strength. Then good leaders don't leave things to chance - they help people connect personal strengths to important tasks. 

Don’t force change…construct it with comfort

Good leaders know change is constructive only when people are comfortable. And personal and business growth happens when people learn how to expand their comfort zones. Knowing these things, good leaders consider people's comfort/stress levels and design change in increments that help expand comfort zones without triggering the destructive consequences that naturally happen when people are forced into discomfort zones. Good leaders also know this correct approach to change 'dominoes' as confidence escalates.

Repeat clearly, "I do have time!"

Good leaders know the importance of leading by example. So, they know if they say "I don't have time" or "I'm too busy" their followers will pick up on that, think the same way, talk the same way, and act accordingly...spreading the lack-of-abundance mindset to one and all. Knowing this, good leaders remove the "I don't have time" & "I'm too busy" bad habit from their thoughts and words. They replace the bad habit with good habits: as examples, they apply the 80/20 Rule and they practice abundance thought and solution talk.

Change character for the better

All great leaders changed their character. Perhaps Abraham Lincoln performed one of the greatest self-transformations. When he was a young man he had the habit of openly criticizing other people. In 1842 Lincoln publicly criticized Illinois state employee James Shields. Shields took exception to the criticism and challenged Lincoln to a duel. The 2 men faced one another with weapons in hands. Fortunately their seconds intervened. Lincoln used the incident as a life-lesson and he chose to change his character for the better...rarely criticizing others. Lincoln's change of character took him from the dueling field to the White House. 

 

 

10 Thoughts on Hiring Good People

by Rick Baker
On Nov 14, 2016
  1. Know how to communicate the essence of the role, seek simple descriptions; avoid lengthy series of tasks and responsibilities
  2. Magnetic job postings - show your difference...less is better than more
  3. Discuss the good, the bad, and a little taste of the ugly; be open and candid, open the door for trust
  4. Share Thoughts about Vision - everybody has dreams of a better future; don't just talk - ask and listen
  5. Talk about Values: courageously paving the path for Culture; again, don't just talk - listen
  6. Talk about money: confidently setting the proper 'money pace'...and listen
  7. Talk about boundaries: introducing master rules, with conviction; consider differences but know where lines must be drawn
  8. Talk about talents: illustrating true curiosity...everyone has talents; few truly understand their talents
  9. Share stories - about best bosses, role models, mentors and heroes, especially heroes
  10. Discuss hobbies - understand how hobbies parallel and/or cross business know-how

The Internet of Things: Our IoT Vision

by Rick Baker
On Nov 7, 2016

The 'Internet of Things', you've heard about it.

You may be talking about it, asking “What exactly does it mean?

Recently, that question was discussed at our office, “What does 'Internet of Things’ mean?

At our meeting, Chris Labrador posed a vital question, "In the Internet of Things, what is the main thing?’" 

After some discussion, we agreed - the ‘main thing' in the Internet of Things is People

The Internet of Things [IoT] exists to serve people; IoT exists to deliver value to people…to enhance people’s lives.

IoT is an advanced, multi-faceted tool.

What other things does IoT contain?

The IoT has some fundamental components:

  • data/information,
  • connectivity in the form of wires, routers, switches
  • computer hardware, and
  • software

For more technical details, see Wikipedia’s IoT description.

Why have IoT?

What value does IoT deliver to people?

On the macro scale: IoT will soon be the most powerful tool devised by Mankind…embraced around our planet…by billions of people…delivering value for personal use and delivering value for business/organization/government use.

On the micro scale: IoT will present unique value to each person who decides to put it to good use…imagine advanced person-by-person concierge & valet services…customized thought-concierge & valet services…decision guidance…action recommendations.

The thought-concierge & valet value you obtain from your IoT activity will be different than the thought-concierge & valet value I obtain from my IoT activity.

The First Level of Value is: IoT provides information to people; IoT connects with information and delivers information to people.  This information helps people understand their situations and environments and improve their decisions. Information-value is a subjective thing; decision-making process is another subjective thing. So, to provide the first level of value IoT will learn what information-value means to each person. Then IoT will gather pertinent information for each person. Timing of information delivery will always be a key thing, in summary - the quicker the better.

An example of IoT’s first level of value: today, we use software apps to control our sprinkler systems. These software apps are programmed to ensure the zones in our property are watered at pre-set times for pre-set durations. Without us taking any action, these software apps monitor local weather stations, override the pre-set watering instructions and stop the watering when a certain level of rain is expected or has occurred. These software apps notify us every time our pre-set watering programs are overridden. This very-basic IoT has been created to ensure we do not over-water our lawns and gardens…this basic IoT saves/conserves electricity and water…and that helps our environment and saves our money.

The Second Level of Value is:  contextual consciousness.  In the not too distant future, IoT will gain a level of consciousness…let’s consider that to be the first ingredient of intelligence. Soon, IoT will go beyond understanding the data you are interested in, how to gather that data for you, how to combine it, how to package it, and how to deliver it to you. Venturing beyond these things, IoT will begin to understand why you want this data and your IoT will understand all of the nuances around your 'why', i.e., your IoT will understand your specific 'why'. Your IoT will understand your preferences and why you make certain decisions. Your IoT will be able to extrapolate and interpolate, understand why you change your mind, make basic decisions for you, and hone recommendations to help you as you make your important/advanced decisions. With contextual consciousness, your IoT will automatically improve your personal organization and mentor your personal growth.

An example of IoT’s second level of value: Consider the water-sprinkler example presented above and let’s add a complication: let's say we have two little dogs and one of the watering zones in our yard is called ‘The Dog Walk’. We want to ensure that zone gets as much water as possible. So, every time the software app notifies us it has turned off this zone we [using our smart phone or computer] visit the software app [web-tool] and we manually water The Dog Walk zone. In the not-too-distant future, the software app will gain a small piece of contextual consciousness…it will recognize/learn that we have special needs in The Dog Walk zone and it will automatically adjust itself to (1) leave the watering ‘on’ at The Dog Walk zone when it shuts off the other zones and (2) adjust its note to let us know, “Rain is predicted so we are turning off your sprinklers but, don’t worry – we will continue to water your Dog Walk zone”.

Then…a little later, but still in the not-too-distant future…

IoT will expand its ability to extrapolate and interpolate – it will do even more reading outside the lines and reading between the lines of our actions, understanding why we change our minds, making basic decisions for us, and honing recommendations for our important/advanced decisions…improving our personal organization and mentoring our personal growth.

As IoT uses its contextual consciousness to gain intelligence we will see it take advanced steps. The history of technical advancements, strongly suggests these advancements will happen rapidly and be exponential.

An example of an advanced step: again, consider the above sprinkler system examples. As sprinkler-control companies build IoT value for their clients their software apps will send notes like this to our neighbours who use sprinkler systems, “Some of your neighbours choose to water their Dog Walk zones even when it rains. If you see merit in this strategy, press this button and we will make sure your Dog Walk is watered rain or shine.

***

The Internet of Things - what amazing things now on all our horizons...coming our way so quickly.

 

 

Tags:

Beyond Business | IT & TECH | Vision: The Leader's Vivid Vision

Controlling the common littlenesses of human nature

by Rick Baker
On Aug 29, 2016

William MacDonald described Benjamin Franklin as a man who could control the common littleness of human nature1. It is clear MacDonald had tremendous respect for the special gifts Benjamin Franklin brought to Mankind, as a citizen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the United States of America…and the rest of the world.

When MacDonald talked of Franklin controlling the littlenesses of human nature, he was describing Franklin’s innate ability to understand the littlenesses housed in himself and other people and adjust himself in order to get around those littlenesses so he and others could accomplish great things. 

By the mid-1700’s, when he was less than 50 years old, Benjamin Franklin had become a worldwide phenomenon…a true polymath…a true leader of men…a true leader of thought...a leader in scientific thought...a true hero.

Franklin’s accomplishments are mind-boggling.

As examples:

By his early 20’s Franklin was a self-made business success.

By his late 40’s Franklin was recognized [worldwide] as a gifted scientist.

Between those milestones he had:

  • created a mastermind, gathering intelligent friends to philosophize, share ideas and create practical solutions to Philadelphia's problems [his Junto, also known as the Leather Apron Club]
  • created time-management/personal-organization tools and decision-making tools...his pioneer work in this area lives on in legacy, for example - 'Franklin Covey'
  • co-founded an early [if not America’s first] subscription library
  • co-founded an academy that became the University of Pennsylvania
  • led the community movement that funded the first paving of roads in Philadelphia
  • built an international printing empire by creating partnerships, funding & franchising a series of strategically-located print shops 
  • built a successful newspaper - the Pennsylvania Gazette 
  • created a bestseller – 'Poor Richard’s Almanack'
  • created Philadelphia’s first volunteer fire brigade
  • taught himself French, Italian and Spanish languages
  • served as Philadelphia's postmaster
  • invented the Franklin Stove, an energy-efficient heating system still in use today…then refused to patent it because he felt he had benefited from others’ inventions so others should benefit from his

Of course, Franklin was a well-respected civic and provincial politician…long before he became America’s political representative to other nations prior to, during, and after the American Revolution.

Yes – Franklin was one of the 56 who risked the gallows2 by signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

And, of course, Ben Franklin did that experiment with a storm, lightning, a kite and a key…and he invented the lighting rod and the best methods of installing it. This invention illustrated to the world that electricity could be controlled, to a degree, by Mankind. That illustration helped introduce a new era of scientific thought and experimentation that is still advancing today. And the lightning rod saved countless lives and reduced, on a world-wide basis, damage and loss of property caused by lighting fires.

On top of these things, Franklin was a commissioned Colonel who built a series of fortresses to protect Pennsylvanians from the French and Indian invasions in the mid-1700's, He personally led Pennsylvanians into battle against these invading forces...he led peace talks with the native Indians and, after the war had ended, he ensured the protection of peaceful Indians from unruly Pennsylvanian mobs.

Benjamin Franklin did much more than these things.

Here's another sampling...

Franklin left Boston at the age of 16, venturing out on his own to Philadelphia. He was a vegetarian during his teenage years. He understood the value of character and he practiced character-building ‘virtues’ throughout his life. This practice started when Franklin was about 20 years old. Somehow, he was wise well beyond his years. Somehow, he understood his ‘littlenesses of human nature’ and he committed to removing his own to full extent he could accomplish that goal. Benjamin Franklin worked on that throughout his life, for over 60 years. Franklin's desire to design and build his character along strict guidelines allowed him to control many, but not all, his ‘littlenesses’. He was candid about his shortcomings and he took a humble stance on his amazing accomplishments. 

Benjamin Franking is a man worth studying…and his practices - his good habits - are certainly worth emulating. 

It is never too late to start emulating heroes.

 

Footnotes

  1. 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin:  Now First Printed in England from the Full and Authentic Text', (1905)
  2. These are words Napoleon Hill used to describe the ‘founding fathers’ of what is now the U.S.A. 

Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.